


In Your Name, I Rule

by OrangeChocobo



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, Post-Game(s), Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-15 05:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeChocobo/pseuds/OrangeChocobo
Summary: SPOILERS - DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED FFXV.With Noctis gone and the Lucian line over, the remaining Insomnian officials decide the title of King should pass over to one of those who knew Noctis best. With Ignis blind and Gladio struggling with the reality of everything that's happened, the title falls to the only person able to bear it: Noct's best friend, Prompto Argentum.





	1. The Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic I've ever written on this site so I'm going to try my best! I'm basically mourning the ending of the game so I decided to write this to distract me from my sadness.

Prompto fired another round of shots at the Iron Giant standing tall above the three of them. He focused solely on the battle, refusing to let himself think about what his best friend was about to do. Ignis and Gladio appeared to have adopted the same strategy, as neither of them shouted commands like normal. The three of them simply focused on taking down the daemons that kept crawling out of the ground, waiting for the light that would signal the end. They weren't sure they wanted it.

As Prompto stepped back from the battle, exhausted at the constant stream of daemons, he realised something was reflecting off Gladio's great sword. He gasped as he whipped his head around, and saw the bright light rising in the distance. Slowly, the area around them was flooded in light, and the daemons began to roar as they disintegrated with the light. Prompto felt his face light up as he began jumping up and down and fist bumping, smiling at Gladio and Ignis. But, seeing the solemn looks on their faces reminded him of what this meant.

His happiness disappeared as quickly as it had appeared as he looked up at the Citadel. He felt tears well up in his eyes, and quickly wiped them away, unwilling to start bawling in front of Ignis and Gladio. Yet, he still felt his heart tear in two as it fully dawned on him that this was the end.

Ten years without Noct didn't prepare him for being without him for good.


	2. Return To Hammerhead

The three friends walked in silence towards Talcott's van, parked just outside the entrance to Insomnia. They hadn't said a thing to each other since the sunrise. Instead, Gladio and Ignis had started walking away from the Citadel, and Prompto had followed them quietly. His heart screamed at him to go back to the throne room, to see Noct one more time, but he knew what he would find there would just tear his heart into more pieces. He also knew better than to question Gladio, who looked to be on the verge of breaking down. Talcott was basking in the sunlight, a huge smile on his face, before realising they were back. He smiled at them, before quickly dropping it when he saw their expressions. "So... he did it?" he asked. Prompto looked over to Ignis and Gladio when neither of them replied. They were both staring at their feet, clearly trying to avoid answering the question. Prompto turned back to Talcott and nodded, for everyone's sake. Talcott smiled sympathetically. "Well, let's get back to Hammerhead." Without a word, Ignis and Gladio climbed into the back of the truck. Prompto sighed and joined Talcott in the front, wondering how the rest of Eos felt about the sun rising.

\--------------------

Prompto shut the door of Talcott's truck to see Gladio walking towards the caravan. Ignis followed a few steps behind him, stumbling every so often. He still struggled with his blindness, albeit nowhere near as much as ten years ago. He still pitied his friend, and helped him as much as he would allow him to.

"So... you alright, Prompto?" He was shaken out of his thoughts by Talcott's voice. He turned to face him and saw the concern in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he mustered up everything he could to stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. "I'm fine" he managed, smiling at Talcott. The last thing he wanted was for him to worry about him, when Gladio and Ignis were obviously having a harder time. "I'm gonna go check on the others" he said. "Well, if you need anything at all, I'll be around." Talcott returned the smile, before heading off in the direction of the group of hunters, all celebrating the dawn. Prompto made his way over to the caravan, wiping away a tear that had slid down his cheek. He had to be strong, for the others.

Prompto opened the door of the caravan and, seeing no one, headed into the bedroom. Gladio was lying on his back on the bottom of the left bunk, with Ignis sat staring at the floor on the opposite bunk. Prompto sat down awkwardly next to Ignis and looked at him, although he didn't react. The three stayed in silence for a few minutes, the tension constantly mounting. Finally, Prompto couldn't handle it anymore. He sighed deeply before quietly asking "Well then... what do we do now?"

"What is there to do? We've fulfilled our duty. We're done." Gladio spat, before turning to face the wall. Ignis continued to stare at the floor, and Prompto was sure he saw a tear roll down his cheek. "Y-yeah, I know, but..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say. "There's still Iris? And Cid and Cindy?" he said, hoping to appeal to Gladio's love for his sister. Gladio simply scoffed and didn't reply. Prompto looked over to Ignis, desperate for him to offer an opinion. Much to his relief, he finally did. "Prompto has a point. There are others-"

"What's the point?!" Gladio cut him off sharply. He sat up and stared angrily at the other two. Ignis was looking up now, a look of shock on his face at Gladio's outburst. "What use would we be?!" he asked. Ignis looked down again, unable to provide an answer. Prompto thought quickly, trying to find a way to relieve the tension. "T-there might be a big celebration in Lestallum... It would be cool to go there..." he said quietly, almost to himself. Ignis nodded slightly. "You could get some good pictures there." he said, sensing Prompto's attempt at lightening the mood. Gladio sighed deeply and laid back down on the bed. "Whatever. As long as we can see Iris." He nodded, forgetting that neither of them were looking at him. "Yeah" he added, before looking out the window to the hunters celebrating outside. He stood up, unable to bear sitting in silence again. "I'm gonna go and celebrate with the others." When neither of them replied, he slipped out the room and out the door. As he walked over to the group, he wiped another tear away from his cheek. Be strong, he told himself.

It's what Noct would want.


	3. Lestallum

The next morning, Prompto, Ignis, Gladio and Talcott all clambered into Talcott's van and set off for Lestallum. Prompto had spent hours celebrating with the hunters the day before, and he'd drank so much that he'd almost forgotten about everything that had happened.

Almost.

When he returned to the caravan at Gods know what hour, Ignis and Gladio had already packed their bags in preparation to head for Lestallum the next day. Prompto did the same the best he could, not in the right state to argue with the two.

The next morning, he had never regretted something so much.

He woke up with a pounding headache, and had to run to the bathroom to unleash the contents of his stomach. The last thing he wanted to do was spend hours in a stuffy van, yet given it had been his suggestion, he had no choice. So, he clambered into the front of the van with Ignis and Gladio in the back, opened the window and focused on the scenery and fresh air as opposed to his intense urge to throw up again.

Ten years ago, Noct had always gotten drunk with him, so he'd had someone to go through the hangover with. His stomach churned more at the thought of never having him around for that again, so he pushed it out of his mind and tried to focus on Lestallum and the pictures he could snap there of the possible celebrations.

It was going to be a long drive.

\--------------------

As the four drive into Lestallum, they instantly knew that their guess had been correct. A huge crowd of people as gathered around the entrance to the city, and colourful bunting was strung between the buildings. Sounds of cheerful chatter and smells of mouthwatering delicacies filled the air. Prompto smiled; he'd never been to a festival, and this looked as good a one as any.

As Talcott parked the car, Prompto shut his window. The urge to vomit had subsided, though his head still pounded angrily. Talcott switched off the engine and turned to him. "How are you feeling?" he asked, the concern back in his eyes.

"Just a bit of a headache now. No big deal" he replied, forcing a smile. He still didn't want Talcott to worry about him; he deserved to enjoy the festivities, rather than deal with him being emotional.

Talcott nodded, though the concern was still evident in his eyes. "Well, should we go find Cid and Cindy? I think I know where they are."

"Yeah, let's do it. As long as I can get some pictures along the way" Prompto replied, smiling. He was keen to take pictures in the light again. The Starscourge hadn't provided the best lighting for his photos.

The two climbed out the front of the van to find Ignis and Gladio leaning against the back. Talcott told them where they headed and the two nodded, once again avoiding words. The four headed into Lestallum, and were instantly assaulted with different delicacies from different food vendors. Prompto accepted a skewer from one, and couldn't help smiling at the warmth that filled him after taking a bite. It brought him back to the dishes Ignis would make at camp all those years ago. He still cooked a bit, but not as often as before due to how much time he spent daemon hunting. Prompto missed having a delicious meal awaiting them at the end of a hard day. He turned to see whether Ignis was enjoying the food as much as he was, but as he feared he was staring down, paying no attention to the food. He never expected this from the man who would only ever stop them from the task at hand for reasons concerning food.

The four continued on through Lestallum. Everywhere they looked, crowds of people could be found, all celebrating the return of the sun. It took much longer than normal to make their way through the crowds, especially with Prompto stopping them constantly to take pictures, but eventually they found themselves outside the small house Cid and Cindy had managed to rent. Talcott stepped forward and knocked on the door, and a moment later Cindy opened the door. "Hey y'all! Come on in!" she said, stepping to the side to allow the group to enter.

The house was small. Off to the left of the entrance hall was a small lounge, and a little further on through the corridor, also on the left,was the kitchen. Upstairs was a small bathroom and bedroom, with two single beds. Prompto understood why Cid was so keen to stay in Hammerhead.

As the four headed into the lounge, they saw Cid sat in an armchair with a mug in his hands. He looked more frail than before, and a walking stick leaned against the chair. He looked up at them and squinted. "Ah, Noctis' friends" he said, his voice sounding hoarse. Prompto nodded. "Prompto, Ignis and Gladio" he replied, pointing to each of them in turn, hoping it would jog his memory. However, he just looked blank. "Ah" he said, taking a shaky sip of his tea. "What brings you kids here, then?"

Prompto looked over to Cindy, who smiled at him. He smiled back; his old crush still hadn't subsided, though he knew Cindy was "married to her work", as Talcott would describe it. "We just wanted to see how you guys were doing. You know, seeing as the sun has risen and all" he said.

An irritated look crossed Cid's face. "Would be better if I was allowed to be in Hammerhead" he spat, looking down at his tea. "This is cold" he added. Cindy sighed, walking over to Cid and taking the mug out of his hands. "I told you Paw-Paw, you'll be back in the garage as soon as we have a way back" she said, walking towards the door. "I'll go get a mug for all of y'all too. Make yourselves comfortable."

Gladio led Ignis over to the sofa and sat down next to him, leaving no space for Prompto. Unwilling to ask Gladio to move, he sat on the floor and crossed his legs awkwardly. A few moments of silence later, a loud knock sounded through the house. "I'll get it!" Cindy called from the kitchen. Footsteps could be heard before the click of the door opening. Prompto could just about make out the final part of the conversation.

"We're Insomnian officials. May we come in?"


	4. Passing The Title On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, 10 kudos! Thank you! I never even expected 1 - I just started writing this for a bit of fun. Thank you guys so much :3
> 
> Also, this chapter is a little weird, but it was necessary to get the story going.

Into the lounge walked two men. They were both dressed in suits and wore serious looks on their faces. They looked at Gladio, Ignis and Prompto in turn before the first one spoke.

"It's very nice to finally meet you all" he said, still looking between the three friends. Gladio looked up, and Prompto could see a look of annoyance on his face. "And you are?" he asked.

The second man spoke this time. "We used to be officials in Insomnia" he said simply. Gladio stood up, towering over the three men, clearly irritated. "You wanna be a bit more specific?" he said, taking a step towards the men. Prompto instinctively stood up, ready to stop any conflict, yet the men didn't seem phased by Gladio.

"There is no need to be specific. We won't be here long" the first one replied. "The Starscourge is over, meaning the King Of Light has sacrificed himself, correct?"

Gladio scoffed and sat back down, staring at the floor. Ignis stared into space blankly. Once again, Prompto nodded for them. They both seemed very keen to avoid answering that question.

"Before King Regis' death, he told all Insomnian officials to vow that, when his son sacrificed himself and the Starscourge was over, they would choose someone to continue the Lucian line" the second one said. "Being the last remaining officials, we have decided that the next King should be someone whom knew Noctis well." At this, Ignis looked up in the general direction of the men. "You can't seriously be suggesting-"

"Yes" the first one cut him off. "We want one of you to take over the Lucian line."

Silence fell over the room. No one dared break it. Whatever they had been expecting the men to say, this was definitely not it. Prompto stared at the floor, trying to avoid eye contact so he wouldn't be picked. It had worked in high school, so why not now? Besides, he was the worst choice out of the three of them. Ignis already had an air of royalty about him. Maybe he-

"Well," The sound of Ignis' voice dragged him out of his thoughts. "Although I am flattered to be given the opportunity to take up a role such as this..." He paused. "A blind King would not be the best option, in terms of security of the realm. I would rather not be considered."

The men nodded, accepting Ignis' arguement. Prompto looked down again, sticking to his tactic of avoiding eye contact. Gladio was still a better choice than him. His family had been by the King's side for centuries. Surely, if anyone was to take up the role, it should be one of them?

Gladio stood up suddenly, causing all eyes in the room to fall on him. He stood for a few moments. Then, without a word, he stormed out of the room. The front door slammed, causing the whole house to shake. After a few moments, all eyes fell on Prompto.

He knew what was coming. How could he be King of Lucis? He was a Magitek! They couldn't let the enemy rule over the country. He had no knowledge of how to rule. He couldn't take Noct's place.

"Prompto Argentum. Rise" the first man said, taking a step towards Prompto. He did as he was told, and shakily got to his feet. Were they seriously...?

"Do you accept the title of King of Lucis, in wake of the death of King Noctis Lucis Caelum?"

"I..." He tried to argue, but what could he say that would change their minds? He couldn't suggest anyone else. It was too dangerous to let anyone else know about his Magitek origins. If this was what King Regis wanted, who was he to say no? It's what Noct would want... right?

"I do" he said, trying his best to keep eye contact with them, though it was something he'd always struggled with.

"Then I hereby pronounce you King Prompto Lucis Argentum, King of Lucis."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know whether it should be Prompto Lucis Caelum but it felt wrong to take Argentum away :3


	5. The House

The officials led Prompto from Cid and Cindy's house to a much bigger one a few streets away. He felt like offering them this one, in fact, as it seemed wrong for him to live somewhere like this whilst they lived in a tiny house barely big enough for the two of them. Yet, he didn't expect the officials would be happy with a suggestion like this, so he decided to keep it to himself. Maybe he would be able to find them somewhere bigger to live anyway.

The house was far grander than his home back in Insomnia. It stood alone on a street on the edge of Lestallum, and towered over them like an Iron Giant. Behind the large front door stood a small entrance hall. Off to the left was a lounge, with patterned green walls and lavishly decorated with mahogany furniture. To the right was a large kitchen and dining room, decorated blue. A large bathroom was situated at the back of the house. Upstairs were two bedrooms: one red, one purple, and both luxurious. Another large bathroom could be found. Although the house astounded him, he wondered how it had remained so immaculate all these years. Perhaps, for someone, cleaning this house was a distraction from the horrors of the dark world.

Ignis accompanied Prompto to the house, yet Gladio had not yet reappeared after he stormed out of the house. It was comforting having a familiar presence beside him, yet he wished Ignis was able to appreciate the grandeur of this house. That being said, he was probably used to it, seeing as he had spent so much time in the Citadel all those years ago. A place like this probably wasn't much to anyone who'd spent a lot of time in the Citadel. Noct would probably just brush it off...

Prompto shook his head to clear it of thoughts of Noctis. Now wasn't the time to be getting upset. He instead focused on leading Ignis over to a chair in the lounge and helping him to sit down. He nodded his thanks as Prompto took a seat on the sofa, then went back to staring at the floor. He worried that if Ignis had been able to, he would have walked out with Gladio. He seemed to be having an equally hard time.

"Right, your majesty." The voice of Arthur, one of the two officials, snapped him out of his thoughts. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. "As King, what do you name as priority to aid recovery in the wake of the Starscourge?"

"I... Priority?" he said, unsure of how to reply. He'd never taken a second to consider how would be the best way for him to recover from the Starscourge, let alone the rest of Lucis.

"Yes. We must decide on one thing to focus on to ensure Lucis recovers as quickly as possible." Arthur said, gazing at Prompto with an expectant look.

He sat in silence. What would be the best way to recover? He didn't even know where to start. Instinctively, he turned to Ignis. "What do you think, Iggy?" he asked, trying to disguise the panic he was starting to feel from his voice.

Ignis shook his head and sighed, lifting his gaze to rest in Prompto's general direction. "This is not my decision to make. You are King now; you must take some initiative and decide for yourself." he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Prompto looked back at Arthur. He must have recognised the panic in the King's eyes as his gaze softened a bit. "Perhaps we could survey the state of a number of outposts and see whether it's possible to start rebuilding them? People are likely to head out of Lestallum now the Starscourge is over, and they'll need places to stay." he offered.

Prompto relaxed a bit. That sounded like a good idea. Maybe it would give him time to start formulating a plan for what to do next. He nodded, and Arthur smiled, seemingly glad he'd managed to get him to make a decision on something. "Excellent. Which outpost would you like to start with?" he asked.

The relaxation Prompto had felt a moment ago dissipated as quickly as it had come on. He tried desperately to remember the name of an outpost that they had stayed at, but it was so long ago that it was futile. Only one name came to his mind. "I... uh... Wiz's Chocobo Post?" he asked, rather than stated. A confused look crossed Arthur's face, and he realised he'd have to justify that strange decision. "It's... it's a good central outpost... and if we can get the chocobos back, it'll provide people with a means of transport." he said, hoping it would be enough to persuade Arthur he knew what he was doing.

After a few moments, Arthur nodded. "We'll set off tomorrow morning. Make sure you get a good sleep tonight."

Prompto breathed a small sigh of relief. He'd get used to it eventually. He had to. He had to make Noct proud.

Besides, how hard could being King really be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another weird chapter but again necessary to the story :3
> 
> Also if you have any suggestions for names other than Arthur I'd be happy to hear them as I suck at coming up with names hahah


End file.
